Life Values and Perceived Occupational Stress among Cosmopolitan (Scientific) and Local (Administrative)-Oriented Scientists in R & D Organization

Abstract

Researchers have shown great interest on studying the different career orientation (Cosmopolitan and Local) Pattern of professionals as they relate to different personal values and organizational conditions. Implicit in the notion that scientists having different career orientation tend to have a wide variations in their life-styles, personal values and interest and exhibit different types of research output. The present study examined the extent to which scientific-cosmopolitan oriented scientists differ from administrative-local oriented scientists with respect to personal life values and perceived occupational stress and to suggest avenues to build career based on their orientation. Data obtained from 329 scientists employed in the R & D division of the eight research and development organizations located in southern part of India were screened to obtain two criterion groups – (i) Cosmopolitan (Scientific) oriented scientists (N=48) and Local (Administrative) oriented scientists (N=45) by using a standardized scale. These two groups of scientists (cosmopolitan and local scientists) provided data on personal life values and perceived occupational stress. Comparison between these two criterion groups revealed that cosmopolitan scientists tend to have high levels of life values on achievement, creativity, independence, responsibility and scientific understanding and likely to have more scientific output than the local (administrative) oriented scientists. Similarly, cosmopolitan scientists tend to have lesser levels of role conflict, unreasonable group and political pressure, powerlessness and intrinsic impoverishment. The present findings have practical implications for nurturing their career orientation based on the life-values and perceived occupational stress levels in their work environment.

Keywords

Cosmopolitan-Local Orientation Life Values Perceived Occupational Stress Scientific Productivity

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